Mon State at War

CIVILIAN TORTURED AND KILLED DURING MILIATRY OFFENSIVE

(Kao Wao and IMNA report: December 29, 2003)

Ye - Civilians are abducted and killed by the Burmese Army during military operation against guerrillas in southern Mon State and northern Tenasserim Division.

According to the witness, 19 villagers including Buddhist monks and village headmen were arrested for interrogation three days ago. Being accused as supporters of the Mon guerrilla group, those arrested were ordered to sit in the sun, beaten and tortured by the Burmese Army Regiment No. 22 led by Colonel Nyi Nyi Swe.

Local source reported, the Pa-An based Regiment No. 22 of Southeast Military Command took civilians and made them march in front of army when they launched the offensive against the Mon armed group led by Nai Hloin, Nai Bin and San She.

The Burmese troops severely tortured 2 Buddhist monks, the abbot of Krein Kanyeh and Khawza PhaeDay monasteries while they were beaten and their legs being burned for questioning.

According to a refugee who recently arrived at the Thai-Burma border, over 40 civilians were arrested and 5 villagers were killed during the brutal military operation.

Since the area is defined as the black area, the BA restricts movements of civilians to block off alleged support for the rebels and villagers were prohibited going out at night from 5 PM to 7 AM.

A 25 year old son of Nai Pe from Hangan village was killed near Hangan village due to the curfew imposed by the army; and on December 23, Nai KaoChan (19 years old) from Yang Dong village was shot to death in his farm near the village.

On December 20, a former medic of the New Mon State Party Nai Norn Ong and other member Nai A-zan were taken from their houses and killed by the army after investigation. Another victim Nai Zit (age 40), a hunter from Hangan village, was also being shot and killed.

The front line operation office of about a thousand troops was led by Colonel Nyi Nyi Swe and stationed at Khawzar village, southern Ye township since in early December.

After the New Mon State Party reached a cease-fire with the ruling military junta in 1995, a former NMSP member Nai Hloin split from the Party and resumes fighting against the BA in the rural areas of southern Mon State.